Hydel whip Dunoon to remain perfect in Zone A

Hydel High continued their perfect start to the season in Zone A of the Inter-Secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA) Manning Cup campaign when they defeated Dunoon Park Technical High School 4-1 at the Excelsior High school grounds yesterday.

Hydel blitzed Dunoon in a flurry of second-half goals to secure their third consecutive win as they pull level on nine points with zone leaders Eltham High.

Hydel’s assistant coach Kirk Newman said the win was important for his team as last year’s beaten finalists aim to return to the final of the Manning Cup yet again with as clean a record as possible.

“We told them to remember what we practised in training first and foremost,” he said. “Moving forward, we have to do the same in Monday’s game against Eltham and execute our game plan. We believe in the guys and we know that Hydel can go straight to the final as we’re very confident in our team.”

After an uneventful first half where they struggled to break down Dunoon’s backline, Hydel came roaring in the second half and Rasheem Green scored the opener just a minute after the restart.

Green was gifted the goal after a poor pass at the back allowed him to swoop in and toe home the finish into an empty net.

Ronaldo Barrett doubled the lead just three minutes later as his driven shot from distance had goalkeeper Arantes Clarke beaten for pace as it nestled into the roof of the net.

Barrett got his brace two minutes later in a brilliant move inside the box. He weaved past his marker and the goalkeeper before striking home into the lower left corner of the net.

Shannon Power completed the rout for the visitors as his low-driven shot to the near post was just out of the reach of a diving Clarke.

Dunoon’s Romain Green scored a consolation penalty for his team in the 75th minute as his head coach Jahmai Pettigrew said a lapse in concentration in the second half spelled the downfall for his team.

“It just boils right down to a lapse in concentration,” Pettigrew lamented. “We did what we were supposed to do in the first half, had a nice defensive shape and organisation, and at half time we spoke to them to keep it up.

“But we lost concentration and gave up a quick goal and the players’ heads just dropped after that. I think today we just fell short because we’re normally much sharper than this so I don’t know what really happened out there today.”

Hydel now sit second in Zone A behind Eltham High on goal difference. Both teams are tied on nine points.

-Gregory Bryce

Yesterday’s results

Gaynstead 0 Mona 18

Charlie Smith 2 Jonathan Grant 2

St Catherine 4 Papine 0

Tarrant 1 Waterford 0